Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Softball ready for 2013

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Experience and power on hand for Softball

-Softball Dinner Saturday night @ Hyatt

Even though the weather in Louisville is below freezing, # 18 Louisville Softball is busy preparing for the opening weekend Feb 8th. in Las Vegas. The team uses the indoor Trager Center for the basics of batting and fielding and we're not sure how many holes have been put in the roof by Taner Fowler, Alicja Wolny, Maggie Ruckenbrod, Jordan Trimble and the rest of the Cards wrecking crew...but Sandy Pearsall has bats galore ready to take the Ulmer Stadium field this spring.

If there's any questions at all about the team that swept the BIG EAST last year and won 55 games, it's who will fill in for departed pitchers Tori Collins, graduated and married and Chelsea Leonard who has given up the game because of perpetually bad knees.

Caralisa Connell returns, and went 19-1 last season. Rachel LeCoq, a transfer from Colgate, is there as needed. Both freshman Jasmine Smithson-Willett and returning outfielder Jordan Trimble are able to step in the circle if needed...Coach "P" is very high on the freshman Smithson-Willett and has indicated she'll contend for a spot in the starting line-up if not throwing strikes and balls.

For Connell, a junior...it's a role she's carried before. In 2011, injuries to Leonard and Collins left Pearsall with just one pitcher...the freshman from Murfreesboro, TN. Pearsall combed the campus and came up with Katie Petrino, on campus to play golf for UofL and daughter of former football coach Bobby Petrino to bring to the roster as a backup hurler.

Connell pitched every game, every inning for a three week peroid and won 12 straight while going 20-7 on the season. There is no truth to the rumor that current golf coach Courtney Trimble has petitioned Pearsall to have Connell grab a five-iron and hit the links this spring.

Besides Smithson-Willett, two other freshmen are on the roster this year for UofL. Ally Vaughn was the 8th Region Player of the Year in Kentucky and the first baseman from Henry County High School is known to have great power at the plate. Brittany Sims was the #7 ranked player in the state. The utility player hails from Lexington (KY) Lafayette and was also a top discus performer in track and field.  

It'll be a tough lineup to crack. Fowler, Katelyn Mann, Keller, Whitney Arion, Ruckenbrod, Jennifer Esteban, Trimble, Wolny and Hannah Kiyohara all started regularly or played extensively for the Cards last year. 12 letter-winners return.

The crowds at Ulmer should be thrilled this season with a veteran and powerful lineup. If the pitching can hold, we think preseason #12 South Florida and maybe Notre Dame will be the only teams good enough to push the Cards out of the running for back-to-back titles.

Vegas...opening on Feb. 8th. Would be a great get-away weekend, if you want to combine roulette and round-trippers. I wouldn't bet against the Cards sweeping the Invitational in Sin City.

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The Softball Bullpen Dinner is tonight at the downtown Hyatt. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 and dinner at 7:30 p.m. Washington All-American Danielle Lawrie is the featured speaker.

CARDINAL COUPLE had a wonderful time there last year and we're pleased and happy to be returning again this year. We'll have full coverage of the event in the Sunday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE and a preview of WBB vs. St. John's.

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Sunday Cardinal Couple - Cards lose to Michigan, beat UK to reach finals.

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Cards defeat UK 3-2 to reach regional final


-Cards lose first game of the day to Michigan in extra innings 2-1

Cards hope to play two Sunday

The University of Louisville softball team defeated UK 3-2 Saturday night to reach to finals of the NCAA Regionals at Ulmer Stadium. The win comes following an opening game loss to Michigan 2-1 to put the Cards in the losers bracket of the double elimination tournament. Louisville will face Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m. and must beat the Wolverines twice to advance to the Super Regionals. Here's the action from Saturday


MICHIGAN 2 - LOUISVILLE 1 


Michigan struck early against Caralisa Connell, scoring
their first run in the bottom of the second inning off two Cardinal fielding errors. A throwing error to first, walk and misplayed fielders choice loaded the bases for the Wolverines with one out. A sacrifice fly to right produced the run. Connell fielded a come backer to the mound to end the Michigan threat. 

Wagner gets the win..aided by some Cardinal
errors and a blown call. 

Louisville just couldn't get untracked against freshman Michigan pitcher Haylee Wagner. The Cards got two hits off her in the top of the third and had runners on the corners in the fourth with one out..but couldn't push a run across and remained silent until the top of the seventh after that. 


Louisville, faced with their potential last at-bat, started the seventh with a Alicja Wolny double to center field. Kirsten Straley came in to pinch run, went to third on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game on a Jordan Trimble sacrifice fly to center with one out. 


Tori Collins took the circle in the bottom of the seventh and allowed a single but kept the Wolverines from scoring and the game went into extra innings. 


The Cards went scoreless in the top of the eighth and Chelsea Leonard took the ball in the bottom of the inning and had an apparent second out of the inning on a throw from Kristin Austin to third following a Wolverine single that looked like it got to Katelyn Mann in time to tag out the runner. 

Third base umpire Steve McCrillis called the runner safe, though... a highly controversial call that infuriated the Cardinal fans and dugout. ESPN replays showed the throw and tag in time..but there is no instant replay in women's college softball and the call stood. That set the stage for Michigan to win when a Leonard pitch hit Michigan's Caitlin Blanchard and the runner automatically advanced from third to end the game.


The Cards were now faced with having to play the 8:30 nightcap against the winner of the next game... UK vs Valparaiso...in an elimination game. 


UK defeated the Crusaders 5-4 to advance and the stage was set for the nightcap.


LOUISVILLE 3 - KENTUCKY 2

The Cards batted first in contest and touched UK pitcher Chandra Bell for three first inning runs. After Jennifer Esteban started the game with a single...Alicja Wolny blasted one over the left field fence to give the Cards a 2-0 lead. Louisville added a third run in the inning when Fowler walked, Trimble singled and Maggie Ruckenbrod walked to fill the bases. A wild pitch to Katelyn Mann allowed Fowler to cross the plate and the Cards led 3-0. 


Tori Collins entered the circle for UofL and kept UK scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. Brittany Cervantes singled to start the inning and two outs later UK catcher Joyner Griffin sent one out over the center-field fence to make it 3-2 Louisville. 


Collins and reliever Chelsea Leonard teamed up to keep the Cats scoreless in the final two innings to eliminate UK from the regional and send the Cardinals to the finals. 

Two wins over Michigan Sunday will give the Cards the title. Not impossible, but the Cards will need to find a little more production at the plate. Michigan has given up only three runs in two games behind the pitching of their freshman Wagner. Louisville has scored 10 runs in three games...but only one against the Wolverines. 


Good day for a double-header tomorrow. Sweep 'em Cards! 


We'll have a full recap of (hopefully) both Louisville games and wins tomorrow.


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I'll Have Another wins again

I'll Have Another pulled off another flying finish to nip Bodemeister in the Preakness today. Once again, just like in the Kentucky Derby, "Bode" looked like he was going to hang on to the lead and win...but the rapidly closing style of I'll Have Another prevailed again. 

Bodemeister second best again

A chance for a Triple Crown winner if I'll Have Another can take the Belmont in three weeks. 


The expected challenges from Went the Day Well, Creative Cause and the rest of the field of 11 runners never materialized. Bode and I'll Have Another were eight lengths in front of the rest at the wire...and just a head apart from each other.


WE'D be surprised if Bob Baffert tries the Belmont with Bodemeister. Longer race and Bodemeister just can't seem to hold on in anything over a 1 1/8th. 


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Saturday Cardinal Couple - Cards defeat Valparaiso 6-4

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GAME REPORT: WOLNY'S WHACK
VAPORIZES VALPO 6-4


-Walk off 7th inning homer lifts Cards to win.


-Today's schedule for softball


-Preakness poses possibilities for closers 

Sandy Pearsall is all grins after  Alicja
Wolny's game-winning blast
(Photo by Sir Eats-A-Lot)

For a minute, it looked like it might be Louisville vs. Kentucky in Saturday action in the NCAA Regional.


In the losers bracket in the NCAA Regional.


Down to their final out of the game, the Louisville Softball Cardinals pull out a 6-4 win over the Crusaders with a three-run, game ending home run to right by junior Louisville first baseman Alicja Wolny. 


The blast left a capacity crowd at Ulmer Stadium exhilarated after some nervous moments in the nightcap. Valparaiso simply wouldn't go away and took a 4-3 lead over the Cards in the top of the fifth. 

The Valparaiso Crusader gets the fans fired up

Tori Collins drew the start against the Crusaders but struggled early against the Horizon League opponent. Three first inning singles and a based loaded walk gave Valparaiso a 1-0 lead over the normally untouchable Collins before she got Crusaders first baseman Kelsey Phalen to fly out to center to end the threat. 

Cards Care and Parrish House hero Erv makes sure I
get in the game safely. Say "Hi!" to Erv if you see him
at the game today or tomorrow.

Louisville responded in fine fashion, though, in the bottom of the first...rocking Valpo pitcher Alex Lagesse for four hits...the key blow a one out single by Taner Fowler that drove in Jennifer Esteban and Katie Keller. Even though Fowler was thrown out trying to advance to second...Jordan Trimble followed with a deep double to center that scored Alicja Wolny and gave the Cards a 3-1 lead. 


Louisville threatened again in the bottom of the third. They filled the bases with singles from Wolny, Fowler and Trimble reaching on a error with two outs. Maggie Ruckenbrod's shot down the third base line was fielded by Joylin Ichiyama-Drewry, though...to end the Cardinal threat. 

Cardinal Volleyball star Gwen Rucker takes in the action

After Jordan Rutkowski doubled to start the fourth, Pearsall went with righty Caralisa Connell in the circle.  A single by Ichiyama-Drewry put runners at the corners but a spectacular double play started by Cardinal catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod picked off Ichiyama-Drewry at second and then short shop Whitney Arion's throw back to the plate nailed Rutkowski trying to score to get Louisville out of the inning and out of danger again. 


Louisville got a double from Esteban in the bottom of the fourth but couldn't get her home. After the early success against Lagesse, the Cards couldn't get the ball into the air against her and were clinging on to the 3-1 lead....not putting the Crusaders away.


Valpo had no intentions of going away quietly and began the fifth with a walk and a single. Connell retired the next two batters but two straight walks brought a Crusader runner to the plate and it was 3-2. Pearsall went to the bullpen again and brought closer Chelsea Leonard in to pitch. Unfortunately, Rutkowski greeted her with her second hit of the game, a single that scored two runs and put Valpo ahead 4-3. 

Cards lining up for pre-game introductions

The Cards couldn't produce against Lagesse in the fifth and sixth...grounding out six straight times and getting just one hit. After Leonard shut down Valparaiso in the top of the seventh....it was do or die time for Pearsall's players. The crowd at Ulmer was doing all it could to inspire the Cards but hits and runs were needed. 

Valparaiso celebrates taking the lead
(Photo by Lindsey Howard) 

Whitney Arion got Cards fans on their feet with a lead-off single to right and Esteban laid down a perfect bunt next that advanced Arion to second. Esteban beat the throw to first to give Louisville two on and no outs. Kristin Austin followed with a grounder to short that was fielded and tossed to third to retire Arion. Katie Keller raised the tension level with a foul pop up that was caught by Ichiyama-Drewry for out number two. 


That set the stage for Wolny, who parked a Lagesse change-up deep to right field and over the fence into the screaming outfield crowd to give the Cards the game 6-4. 


CARDS WIN, CARDS WIN !!


Louisville had 11 hits in the game -- three from Wolny and Esteban. Taner Fowler contributed two singles and Trimble, Ruckenbrod and Arion were 1-3 from the plate. 

Valparaiso gets Kentucky Saturday
(Photo by Stasia's husband) 

Leonard gets the win, improving her record to 11-1, with 2.1 innings of two hit, shutout pitching. Collins went 3 innings...allowing one run on four hits and Connell's numbers were three earned runs on two hits in 1.2 innings of work. 


Louisville played tonight before a crowd of 1645. Good job, Cardinal fans..of getting out and getting crazy! 


The Cards advance to play Michigan Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be shown on ESPN. 




Other great reads on the win: 
Creighton catches the blast


Howie Lindsey left the press box minutes before the Wolny blast and was down on the field for the momentous occasion. Here's his "take" on the game:
Wolny "knew it all along".


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Michigan created their own excitement in the first game, getting a two-out double from designated-hitter Sara Driesenga in the bottom of the seventh to  defeat UK 3-2. The teams went through 3 1/2 scoreless innings before the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on two singles off Kentucky pitcher Chandra Bell.

Press box view from Friday's games

The Cats came back to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh but couldn't pull off the win. They'll face Valparaiso at 5:30 Saturday in a elimination game. 


Memorable quotes department:


(Kentucky head coach Rachel Lawson, after the loss)


"First, I want to thank Louisville for hosting this event. I normally don't like to thank Louisville for anything but they are doing such a good job, which is pretty cool." 


All righty then. Uh, Rachel...they earned the right to host it. They were 53-3 this year and...what? They beat you twice this year? Try to do better than 4th in the East Division of the SEC next year. Maybe you'll get a shot at hosting someday..SMH.


WE'LL have full reports on today's action in Sunday's CARDINAL COUPLE...plus some possible commentary from the Cardinal Couple staff on the games later on today. 


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The KHSAA State Track meet is also going on down at the UofL Campus...right next to the Ulmer Stadium at Cardinal Park...so traffic congestion and big crowds are the scenario for today. 

Go Cards GO! (Photo by Howlin' Wardsey)

Your best bet for softball parking is to leave your car at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and take the shuttle to Ulmer Stadium. Reports are that the parking garage across the street from Ulmer was full one hour before the softball games started yesterday. 


Today's games:


GAME 3 @ 3 p.m. -- Louisville vs. Michigan
GAME 4 @ 5:30 p.m. -- Kentucky vs. Valparaiso
GAME 5 @ 8 p.m. -- loser of Game 3 plays winner of Game 4.


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Speed didn't seem to be holding up well at Pimilico yesterday in races on the dirt...so it could be a good day for closing horses on today's card...especially in the Preakness. The tight turns and short stretch at the Maryland track sometimes tend to show favoritism to horses that can get out and go early...but several distances races yesterday saw off-the-pace closers coming flying down the 330 yd. stretch and overtake early pace-setters.


Conditions could change today...but in the Preakness...if the closers do well in earlier races -- watch out for I'll Have Another, Creative Cause and Went the Day Well. 


Not much is being said about contestant Teeth of the Dog in the Preakness. He came flying late in his last race..the Wood Memorial...to finish third behind Derby Runners Gemologist and Alpha. 


Neither of those two are in the Preakness. Neither ran that great in the Kentucky Derby, either...so, let the toteboard be your guide on "Teeth". 


Post time is 6:20. 
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Friday Cardinal Couple - Five Cards named to Regional Softball team

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Five Softball Cards named to National FastPitch Coaches 2012 All Great Lakes Region team.


-NCAA Regional starts today at Ulmer with Kentucky vs. Michigan. 


-Preakness picks

Five players from the University of Louisville softball team have been named to the 2012 All Great Lakes Regional team. Tori Collins, Alicja Wolny, Kristin Austin and Taner Fowler were First Team selections and Katie Keller was named to the Second Team. 


They'll take the field tonight with their teammates to face Valparaiso at 7 p.m. in 1st round play of the NCAA Regional Tournament at Ulmer Stadium....the second game of the day.


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The day opens with Michigan and Kentucky doing battle at 4:30 p.m. Today's games will be shown on ESPN2, with Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza providing the broadcast dialogue. I guess they wanted to share Jennie Finch with other parts of the nation...


Michigan 

The Wolverines come into the regionals fresh off their fifth straight Big 10 softball title. Amassing a 39-15 record, UM looks for a repeat of last year, when the defeated Kentucky in Ann Arbor to advance to the Super Regionals. 


In the circle, Michigan is led by Haylie Wagner. She has a 29-5 record this season and a 1.55 ERA. When the Wolverines step up to the plate, watch for Amanda Chidester. She lifted nine home runs over the fences this year and had a team best .354 batting average. 


Kentucky

 A bit of a drop off this year for the Wildcats in the extremely competitive world of SEC Softball...UK went 29-28 on the season and finished fourth in the SEC Eastern Division. They also lost twice to Louisville during regular season play. 


Delivering the ball to home plate will most likely Chandra Bell. She's posted a 16-11 record so far this year and checks in with an ERA of 2.72. Or, the Cats could turn to Rachel Riley..who did beat Michigan once last season. 

Stepping into the batter's box and threatening the fences for UK will be Brittany Cervantes. She's said "Goodbye, Mr. Spalding" 13 times this season...tops for the Cats...and has a .319 batting average. Kara Dill leads UK with a .359 average and has scored 37
runs for Big Blue. 


Michigan Blue vs. UK Blue today...for the right to advance in the winners bracket and play either Louisville or Valparaiso. We'll go out on a limb here and predict that it'll be Wolverines vs. Cardinals advancing and playing in the first game Saturday. 


Great weather for softball today. Hope you can either get out and root for the Cards...or at least follow them on "the Deuce". We'll be back Saturday with reports on both games. L1C4, baby ! 


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I'll Have Another won the Derby, but he may not
be the favorite for the Preakness.

The Preakness will be run at 6:20 p.m. Saturday and 11 horses will break from the starting gate in hopes of capturing the second leg of the Triple Crown. Will I'll Have Another repeat his Derby winning performance? Can Bodemeister hang on this time and grab the Black Eyed Susan bouquet? Or is there another of the 3 year olds out there that will lay claim to the winners' circle at Pimlico? 


Here are our predictions for the race. We give them to you a day early, so you'll have plenty of time to scratch them from your picks and come up with the likely winner. Hit it, maestro! 


Paul

Bodemeister will win the Preakness as
the betting favorite. 

" I think we see Bodemeister try to go wire-to-wire again...it's the style he prefers...and with the shorter distance and tighter turns on Pimilco Race Track, I think he'll hit the wire first Saturday. I do expect I'll Have Another to be flying late again and should be a very close second. Went the Day Well also closed well in the Derby and he's my show choice. I'll use Creative Cause to fill out the Superfecta. I'm being Captain Obvious here, but at least it's a promotion from the buck private role I usually play." 


Sonja

Sonja actually liked Derby Trial winner Hierro
but he was not entered for the Preakness

" I'm going 'price' in the Preakness and taking Creative Cause to win. Remember, he had to go eight horses wide in the stretch at the Derby to gain running room and with a smaller field and less early speed that'll be dying as the hit they Pimlico stretch...less trouble for Joel Rosario today and he's my longshot winner. He'll pass Bodemeister on the way to the wire...and ol' Bode hangs on for another second place finish. I'll Have Another will be flying late, as he normally does, but Saturday it'll get him third place. I'll go Teeth of the Dog for fourth. Joe Bravo always rides well in Maryland and wouldn't surprise me at all if he does better."


Good luck, enjoy the race and remember our selections are for entertainment purposes only. 
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Friday Cardinal Couple - Cards advance to BIG EAST Softball Semis.

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


CARDS DEFEAT DEPAUL 2-0


More tomorrow...but Louisville gets a two-hit shutout out of torrid Tori Collins and beats DePaul to advance to the Big East finals. Kayla Soles delivers a two run double for the runs. L1C4 !!


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-Softball downs UConn 8-0...DePaul next


-Cardinal Twilight in track and field today


-Cletus qualifies for State in Discus and Shotput


-Twilight racing at Churchill Friday

The University of Louisville softball team improved to 51-3 on the season with a first-round blanking of Connecticut 8-0 in BIG EAST Tournament play at Notre Dame yesterday. The Cards "run-ruled" the Huskies and the game was stopped after five complete innings. 


The win is a testament to the teamwork, motivation and never-say-die attitude this softball team has displayed all year along. Louisville, as they've done most of the season, jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. Kristin Austin and Katie Keller scored on hits from Alicja Wolny and Taner Fowler.

In the bottom of the third, Wolny made it 3-0 with a bomb to left-center that bounced off the scoreboard. Let's hope there was no damage and Jurich doesn't get a repair bill. NASA was able to track the moon-shot by the junior first-baseman briefly from Houston. She crushed it ! 


Caralisa Connell got the start and had no trouble with the Huskies through three innings. The top of the fourth, though...found her in a bit of a jam. With one out...a fielder's choice, single and hit batter filled the bases with Huskies. Sandy Pearsall and Courtney Scott decided to go to the bullpen and bring in super-reliever Chelsea Leonard. She donned the cape, stepped inside the circle and got the first batter she faced to weakly pop up to her. She struck the next Husky out to end the inning. Threat over, no runs and the skies over South Bend were safe again. 

Louisville was tired of toying with the Connecticut pups...so they decided to end it early. 


In the bottom of the fifth, the Cards started the game-ending assault with two outs in the inning. Katie Keller drilled a shot back at starting UConn pitcher Kiki Saveriano that was mis-handled and Keller was safe at first...foiling UConn's attempt to get out of the inning unscathed.  Wolny worked Kiki for a walk. UConn's coach had seen enough and went to his bullpen. 


Sometimes, you just shouldn't go there. 

Taner Fowler greeted UConn's new hurler Ali Adelman with a single...scoring Keller. Jordy Trimble singled to load the bases. Kayla Soles drew a walk, scoring Wolny to make it 5-0 Louisville. Maggie Ruckenbrod stepped to the plate and ripped a drive down the right field line that scored Wolny and Trimble. UConn tried to throw out Soles as she went to third on the hit, threw badly and Soles just kept going...getting home safely and ending the game with the Cards fifth run of the inning and eighth of the game. 


Bye-bye Huskies. Thanks for playing. Pick up your parting gifts at customer service. 

Today is DePaul for the Cards. They surprised South Florida by pounding USF ace hurler Sara Nevins for four runs yesterday in a 6-0 win. #5 seed beats #4. 


Another upset later in the day, too...as #3 seed Syracuse fell to #6 seed St. John's 2-1. It's single-elimination...Orange and Bulls. Be safe on the way home and bye-bye, farewell, adios Syracuse. No three-peat for you in the BIG EAST Tournament. Enjoy the ACC. You deserve each other. #2 seed Notre Dame handled #7 Rutgers without any trouble in the night-cap 5-0. 

Back to DePaul...they are the demons that dealt Louisville their only two conference losses of the regular season. It was a out-of-sync weekend for the Cards in Chicago in late March and April Fools Day. They dropped two out of three on that trip to the home of the Bears, Bulls and Cubbies and got pounded for seven runs in their first loss of the year. 

We're guessing the Blue Demons will have to deal with the wrath of Louisville's Tori Collins today...but we guessed wrong on the starting pitcher yesterday...so who knows? 


Collins would probably like to forget March 31st, 2012. 


DePaul rocked her for four runs and four hits in four innings. Blue Demon left fielder Katelyn Braget sent two over the fence against Tori. 


Time to settle old scores today, Cards. It's survive and advance time. 


Louisville plays at 4 p.m. and BIG EAST TV will show it free again today. No TV commercials...gotta love that. 


You can catch it at the link below:


Cards vs. DePaul 4 p.m.


We'll drop in with an update after the game. Be sure to check back tonight and...thank you for reading CARDINAL COUPLE. 


Go Tori
Go Taner
Go Maggie
Get that Banner! 


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Track and field hosts the Cardinal Twilight at Cardinal Park today. It's a last-chance meet for athletes to achieve national qualifying standards and try to get in the NCAA Championships. 


Louisville will have quite a few ladies trying to better their season marks today. The Cardinal throwers will be out in full-force...Amashi Kendall in the shot put, discus and hammer throws. She's going to need a shoulder massage after all that. Khadija Abdullah, Patrice Gates and Hannah Baker will also be out there tossing heavy and flat things around. 


Field events go at 10 a.m. Go CARDS! 


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Speaking of throwers...a big congratulations to our folk hero and all-around good guy Michael "Cletus" Stewart. He competed in the Kentucky Track and Field Class 3-A, Region Four Regionals at North Oldham High School Thursday and won the shot put. He also finished second in the discus (by two inches). 


That gets him into the State Championships in both events that will be held at Cardinal Park next Saturday. 


Michael's tosses were 44-10 in the shot put and 128-06 in the discus. He'll attend the University of Louisville in the fall and be a preferred walk-on with the football team. 

Sounds like UofL head track and field coach Ron Mann might also want to introduce himself to the 6'5", 280 Seneca strongman, too. Stewart has participated in discus and shot for just two years and was "self-taught" in both events. Some recent training, coaching and adjustment on his throwing styles has paid dividends and he's really just beginning to reach his full potential. 


Also, Fern Creek's Billy Reid (Monique's little brother) won the 110 and 300 hurdles at the North Oldham events. Well done, Billy! 


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Churchill Downs offers Twilight Racing today for you thoroughbred fans. First post is 2:45 p.m. Live music in the paddock area and 11 chances to pick winners. We love Henny's Hurricane in the featured 10th. race along with Street Storm for the exacta play of the day. 


We'll try and catch a couple races before heading home to watch Softball on-line. Great weather for today, skip out of work a couple of hours early (it's Friday!) and take advantage of the food and drink specials available during Happy Hour. Gates open at 1:30 p.m. and Happy Hour is actually three hours, starting at 4 p.m.


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Thursday Cardinal Couple - Cards clean up on post-season awards

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


CARDS DEFEAT UCONN 8-0


- Louisville coaching staff best of BIG EAST


-Cards play UConn today at 12:30 in first round of BIG EAST Softball Tournament


Who knew? "Big Mike" sings at Wrigley


SPECIAL GAME REPORT: LOUISVILLE 8 - UCONN 0


The Cards run rule UConn in five innings to start play in the BIG EAST Tournament. A five run bottom of the fifth gets it done for UofL. They advance to the semifinals and face DePaul -- a 6-0 winner over South Florida today -- at 4 p.m. Friday. 


Caralisa Connell drew the start for Sandy Pearsall and Louisville provided her with three runs in the first three innings. An Alicja Wolny home run gave Connell the 3-0 cushion going into the top of the fourth...but Connecticut loaded the bases with one out and Chelsea Leonard entered the contest to pitch for Louisville. She got the next Husky batter to pop up to her and ended the inning with a strike-out to get the Cards out of the jam. 


Louisville started the bottom of the fourth with a Jordan Trimble double...but the Cards left her stranded with three outs after that. 


Leonard retired the side in order in the top of the fifth to preserve the 3-0 lead. 


Louisville used two errors, a walk and three hits to finish the game in the bottom of the fifth. All with two outs. After Jennifer Esteban and Hannah Kiyohara grounded out, Katie Keller reached on a fielding error by the UConn pitcher. Alicja Wolny drew a walk and Taner Fowler singled (her second RBI for the day) to score Keller and make it 4-0.


UCONN went with a pitching change after the walk to Wolny but it didn't turn out well for them. Jordan Trimble singled to load the bases with Cardinals. A walk to Kayla Soles forced in Wolny to increase the UofL lead to five. 


That set the stage for Maggie Ruckenbrod. A sharp single to right plated Fowler and Trimble and the relay throw to third to try and get Soles out was wide. Soles advanced to home plate to make it 8-0 and end the game. 


Connell gets the win....allowing two hits and two walks in 3.2 innings. She goes to 20-1 on the season. Leonard picks up her 11th save of the year...retiring all five batters she faced.


We guessed wrong about today's starting pitcher for the Cards...but everything turned out fine and Tori Collins will tangle with DePaul's Kristin Verdun (we think...) tomorrow. Sandy rolled another "seven" today. 


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The University of Louisville softball coaching staff has been named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year and a school-record nine players earned all-conference honors at the 2012 BIG EAST Softball Banquet last night. Tori Collins, Kristin Austin and Taner Fowler made the first team. Katie Keller got second team honors and Jennifer Esteban, Alicja Wolny, Jordan Trimble, Caralisa Connell and Whitney Arion landed on the third team. 


2012 Player of the Year went to Kacee Cox (St. John's) and Pitcher of the Year to Laura Winter (Notre Dame) How Tori Collins and Kristin Austin didn't get these two awards is a mystery...but, it is the BIG EAST. Expect the unexpected. 

The Cardinal coaching staff ( Sandy Pearsall, Carol Bruggeman, Courtney Scott, Lacy Wood and Lisa Pinkston) were unanimously selected the 2012 Coaching Staff of the Year. It's the second time Pearsall and crew have received this honor...2006 the other time. 


They don't award Assistant S.I.D. of the year...but if they did, Lori Korte of Louisville would have been the runaway winner. WE'LL just go ahead and present the CARDINAL COUPLE Softball S.I.D. award to her. Great work, Lori ! 


Louisville led the BIG EAST in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored and total bases. They were second in ERA and opponent batting average. 

Wolny and Austin make their third appearances on the all-conference teams. Collins her second. 


Hard to believe that Louisville pitcher Chelsea Leonard was snubbed in the voting for the teams -- along with South Florida pitcher Sara Nevins...but we guess there is only so much room for pitchers. 


Louisville's first round opponent -- Connecticut -- landed two players on the teams. 3B Kim Silva made the first team and DP Amy DeLuca the second squad. 


Breakdown of players selected by team:


Louisville - 9                           De Paul - 2
Notre Dame - 6                         Pittsburgh -2
Syracuse - 4                             St. John's - 2
USF - 3                                     Connecticut - 2
Rutgers - 3


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The Cards begin their quest for the BIG EAST Tournament title today at 12:30 p.m. against the Connecticut Huskies. Hard to say who Pearsall and Scott will choose to put in the circle to start...but we'll venture a guess and say it'll be senior Tori Collins. After all, it's survive and advance and Collins is your ace on the staff.  We're going by the assumption that you use Caralisa Connell for the winner of the South Florida vs. DePaul game. Then, you bring Collins back for the championship. 


You have reliever extraordinaire Chelsea Leonard available should the starters get into a jam. Of course, WE'RE not the BIG EAST Bloggers of the Year here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Sandy could have a different plan...and she's been rolling "sevens and elevens" all season long. 


Whoever UConn sends out to throw (we're guessing it'll be junior righty Kiki Saveriano) will have to deal with these Cardinals: 


- Kristin Austin OF. Austin finished the regular season with a .377 BIG EAST batting average.

- Taner Fowler DH. Fowler had six home runs against BIG EAST opponents.


And the list goes on and on. Wolny, Esteban, Trimble, Ruckenbrod, Keller, Arion, Mann...Cardinal batters make you pay. 


We'll have a update on the game later today. Be sure to check back. It's available for viewing on BIG EAST TV. Just go to bigeast.tv and enjoy. LINK:

BIG EAST SOFTBALL


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Finally, Michael Bush is one of our favorite UofL football players of all time. What a great running back he was, and still is. He recently left Oakland and signed with the Chicago Bears...which makes us love him even more. Below is a clip of him singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch during a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Thanks to Nick Coffey, of CARDINAL CONNECT notoriety, for the find... 


Like we said, a great running back...


Mike croons at Wrigley
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